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1954 Map of Refugio

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Refugio
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Refugio stands at the heart of this coastal prairie landscape, its grid defined by the convergence of the Missouri Pacific railroad and the winding Mission River. The local economy of the mid-1950s is clearly etched into the terrain, dominated by extensive energy infrastructure such as the Refugio Oil Field and the Melon Creek Oil Field. Scattered throughout the rural stretches are small community anchors like Blanconia, which features the Blanconia Sch and nearby McQuill Cem, illustrating the distributed settlement patterns common before more centralized development took over.

The drainage network across the Ninemile Flat includes numerous named waterways like Medio Creek and Blanco Creek, punctuated by dozens of windmills and artesian wells essential for ranching. Family-named landmarks such as the O'Donnell Place and industrial sites like the O'Conner Oil Field provide specific touchpoints for genealogists tracing local land ownership and the evolution of the South Texas oil industry.